The invention concerns a bridge layer with mechanisms for laying stacked bridges or bridge sections.
Bridge layers with mechanisms for laying a bridge consisting of several parts are known. The parts are stacked on the vehicle for transport and are joined together while still on it. They are positioned by an arm on the side of the vehicle and by booms, and an advancing mechanism comprises a variable pinion that engages a ladder rack.
Known bridge layers are either wheeled or tracked vehicles.
The Leguan ("iguana") is a bridge layer with wheels and the Biber ("beaver") a bridge layer with a track.
The armored Biber has an arm with a piston-and-cylinder mechanism at the front and a boom for joining the bridges at the rear of the underturret. These mechanisms are built onto the hull. Built into the front of the vehicle is a telescoping bracing system with a raking blade.
This known armored and tracked bridge layer is accordingly a specialized vehicle that can only be employed for the aforesaid purpose. Another drawback is that, when the vehicle is in the traveling mode, its center of gravity is not in a practical location in that the bridge sections and laying systems project relative far forward from in front, considerably stressing the forward track wheels.